The instant invention relates to the cleaning of rugs, carpets and the like and more particularly to a portable combination apparatus which effects both shampooing and steam cleaning of rugs and carpets. Heretofore separate devices have been available to clean rugs or carpets by either shampooing or steam cleaning. With conventional shampooers, a foaming detergent is applied to the rug or carpet, and the rug or carpet is mechanically scrubbed to effect the cleansing thereof. Thereafter the rug or carpet is vacuumed with a wet vacuum cleaner to accelerate drying time; and after the rug or carpet is completely dry, it is again vacuumed to remove any dirt particles left behind by the detergent. Unfortunately, however, while rug shampooing is an effective method of removing surface dirt from a rug, it has often proven to be somewhat less than satisfactory for removing dirt or foreign matter embedded in the pile of a rug or carpet. Previously known devices of this type representing the closest prior art of which applicant is aware are shown in the following U.S. Pats.: Hughes et al. No. 3,686,707; Hughes No. 3, 797,065.
On the other hand, steam cleaning is an effective method for removing dirt deeply embedded in the pile of a carpet, although it may not be entirely effective for removing all of the surface dirt. Traditional steam cleaning operations have involved the use of apparatus for spraying substantial amounts of non-foaming hot water-detergent solution (steam cleaning being somewhat of a misnomer) onto a rug or carpet. Unfortunately, with this method, substantial amounts of cleaning solution are required to penetrate deeply into the pile of the carpet or rug and as a result, the rug or carpet becomes fully saturated with solution. The carpet or rug may be thereafter vacuumed with a suitable wet vacuum cleaner to extract as much of the solution as possible therefrom to accelerate the drying time, but extended periods of time are still often required to effect complete drying. Obviously, substantial amounts of dirt and other foreign matter will be extracted by this method, but since conventional rug steam cleaners do not employ mechanical scrubbing apparatus, they also are somewhat less than fully effective rug cleaning devices. In the past, commercial rug cleaning operations have frequently involved both the shampooing and the steam cleaning of rugs. For cleaning heavily soiled rugs, commercial rug cleaners have often first shampooed the rug or carpet as above-described to remove surface dirt therefrom and thereafter steam cleaned it, also as above-described, to remove deeply embedded dirt therefrom. Unfortunately, to carry out this procedure, a substantial amount of time is required as it involves two separate complete operations and two separate pieces of equipment. The apparatus of the instant invention combines the steam cleaning operation with the shampooing operation to provide a device for effectively cleaning a rug or carpet in a single operation and therefore results in considerable savings of both time and expense. Furthermore, by combining the steam cleaning function and the shampooing function in one apparatus, effective rug cleaning operations may be carried out with significantly smaller amounts of cleaning solution to result in even further cost savings.